For fans of The Vampire Diaries, it's almost a running joke that the entire universe seems to revolve around Elena Gilbert. Everything comes so naturally to the show's protagonist – but, at the same time, everyone and everything seems to want her dead.
Over the course of her six seasons fronting the show, Elena stumbles into countless life-or-death situations. Even once she becomes a vampire, she owes a lot of her lucky escapes to the help of her friends and family. Without them, she definitely could not have survived for as long as she did.
Stefan Pulls Elena From The River
Elena's already escaped death once by the time she makes her debut in the pilot episode. Audiences are introduced to her as a grieving orphan (or so she thinks) who was recently the sole survivor of a tragic car accident that killed both her parents. Nobody really knows how she survived the crash – just that her body was found on the bank by the river.
Fans don't have to wait long for an answer. Stefan is later revealed to be her secret savior, having heard the Gilbert family's car go off the bridge and then saving Elena first at the insistence of her father. This is the first of many near-death experiences for Elena, and the one that gives her the survivor's guilt she carries throughout the entire series.
Damon Takes A Crossbow To The Back For Elena
Damon and Elena's fragile friendship is on the outs in early season two, thanks to Damon's reckless decision to kill Jeremy after she rejects him. Despite this, she reluctantly accompanies him on a trip to Duke University to explore her birth mother Isobel's research on folklore.
While there, Isobel's former assistant Vanessa panics at Elena's resemblance to Katherine and tries to shoot her with a crossbow. Thankfully, Damon – in typical Damon style – leaps in front of her just in time to take the arrow to the back. It's exactly what anyone would expect from a character who loves this hard. Even when Elena doesn't love him, he'll do anything to keep her safe.
Damon Stops Elena Burning To Death
Elena never planned on becoming a vampire, and she struggles a lot in the wake of her transition – especially when she kills her first victim. Haunted by the ghost of hunter Connor Jordan, she stands on Wickery Bridge without her daylight ring as the sun rises, urged to accept death by a hallucination of her mother.
Damon is the one to find her, and manages to protect her at the last second by throwing both of them into the water. One of the many ways Damon is a great boyfriend to Elena is how he'll do everything and anything to save her. This is just one of many occasions where he proves the depth and desperation of his love.
Rebekah Saves Elena From A Stake Trap
Less of a friend and more of a reluctant acquaintance, Rebekah is actually the one who manages to kill Elena, driving her car off Wickery Bridge in the season three finale. Just one season later, however, she goes on to save her life while on a mission off the coast of Nova Scotia to retrieve the Cure.
It's more of a reflex than anything. Elena trips a trap designed to stake vampires on the island, and Rebekah holds it at bay before it can pierce her heart. There's no love lost between the pair – and Rebekah insists that if Elena is going to die, it may as well be epic – but it's lucky Elena had an older, more powerful vampire's reflexes to hand.
Jeremy Shoots Kol
The Gilbert siblings have a tight bond, with each willing to die for the other. When Elena is cornered by Kol – who has just escaped The Other Side – in season four, Jeremy also crosses over into the regular world to fire a stake into Kol's back and save her.
It's typical of Jeremy to do anything for Elena's sake, but this rescue has additional significance as it's their first reunion after Jeremy died and Elena switched off her emotions. It just asserts that nothing has changed. Even from beyond the grave, Jeremy Gilbert is looking out for his older sister.
Stefan Stakes Vicki
Vicki Donovan left TVD far too soon, without ever getting a real chance to grow as a vampire. Both Damon and Stefan are to blame for this, but it's Stefan who ultimately ends her life for good when he stakes her to save Elena.
That's because Elena, as usual, finds herself as vampire bait at her school's Halloween party. Vicki is seconds away from ripping out her jugular when Stefan rushes onto the scene. Though it may be for a good deed, it's the first truly murderous act Stefan commits in the show – and, of course, it's all for Elena's sake.
Stefan Catches Elena When She Falls
When Stefan leaves town with Klaus and falls back into his Ripper lifestyle, Elena's willing to try anything to bring him back. That involves putting her own life at risk in a plan that sees her fake inebriation, climb the bleachers, and purposefully fall off to see if he'll catch her.
It's not the wisest plan, but it works. Stefan rushes forward at the last second to stop her fall, providing proof that his feelings are too strong to let Elena get hurt – even when he doesn't have his humanity.
Damon Pulls Elena From The Car Wreck
Another car accident befalls Elena in season one when she hits a mysterious figure with her car. Not only does her car flip, but she's ominously approached by this figure – who, unbeknownst to her, is a vampire – while trapped beneath the wreckage.
But before it can reach her, someone else arrives: Damon. He soon pulls her from the vehicle to safety. This is the first time viewers see Damon act the hero, and the beginning of the first real Damon and Elena-centric episode as they bond on a road trip to Georgia. Most importantly, it's the moment the show makes it clear that Damon will always be there to keep Elena safe.
Meredith Gives Elena Vampire Blood
Most of Elena's near-death experiences are supernatural in nature. This is the closest she comes to a regular accident. Pushed aside by Klaus, she hits her head – hard. Despite thinking she's fine, she later collapses and is rushed to hospital, where Dr. Meredith Fell insists she's suffering from a concussion.
In reality, it's a cerebral hemorrhage. Meredith lies to save Jeremy the stress, as she's already saved Elena's life with vampire blood. Ironically, it's this act that ultimately leads to Elena losing her human life altogether, as she goes on to die with this in her system. But, thanks to Meredith, at least Elena gets to live on as a vampire.
Bonnie Binds Elena's Soul To John
There isn't a single person in Mystic Falls who doesn't owe their life to Bonnie Bennett. Her immense magical power saves everyone at some point, but no one more than Elena. Faced with the fact that Klaus' ritual requires Elena's death, she manages to find a loophole that will keep her alive.
This requires tying her soul to Elena's estranged father John, so that when she dies his life force will be sacrificed to bring her back. There's not one but two friends involved in this Elena-saving exercise, and the guilt Elena feels immense. However, it just proves how deeply Elena is loved.